Sixth Sense
by coni-chor
Summary: "A supposed intuitive faculty giving awareness not explicable in terms of normal perception" Jumpfoot has risen to power in ShadowClan - ambitious, battle-hungry, powerful. Flowerstem doubts that he can ever be stopped - but some think differently, and do think he is stoppable - but not without a sacrifice. Jumpstar AU (Code of the Clans)
1. Prologue

Prologue: The Change of the Tide

The two cats leaped at each other, uttering large caterwauls. They met in the middle, slashing ferociously, rolling across the grass of camp.

Cats backed away rapidly when they came too close. Queens ushered their kits to the back of the nursery. And in the front of it all, a ginger and white tabby watched the fight play out with wide eyes. She made to lunge forward once or twice, as if trying to break them up, but ultimately stayed in her place.

On top of a large boulder, a scarred red tabby sat with closed eyes, as if shutting out his sight would help in shutting out the sound as well. He grimaced at every thump and every pained screech.

One of the two felines let out a screech, which was cut with heavily scratching sounds. A splurt of blood streaked across the floor, earning several horrified wails from the crowd. The other looked down victoriously, raising his paw high in the air. At this point, the ginger and white cat hunched down, a growl in her throat.

"Stop!" This call came from the red tabby. He padded down from his perch. He came before the pair, one lying down, barely conscious, and the other looking at him with slits of eyes. "Jumpfoot, stop." His voice held a tremor of fury, but also a twinge of fear. "You have won. Do not kill her."

Jumpfoot leered at the tom. "Funny, Redscar. I didn't hear you stopping me before. Is it now because Mossfire is dying that you choose to block me from fighting?"

Redscar glowered right back. "If that is what you wish to think, then you are wrong. I am stopping you because I will not stand idly by when someone is hurt, as a medicine cat."

Mossfire let out a gurgling gasp next to the two cats, blood slowly dying her tortoiseshell fur a crusty red. At this, the crouched warrior shot forward, crouching beside Mossfire.

"Mossfire - Mossfire, please-" She looked up at Redscar. "Help her!" she screeched.

Redscar gave a growl, his eyes on Jumpfoot. "You will receive your nine lives at sundown," he spat at last. "Be ready." The medicine cat turned away. "Starlingcall! Help Flowerstem carry Mossfire to my den," he ordered.

A large black she-cat hurried forward, bowing her head to grasp Mossfire's scruff in her mouth. Flowerstem lowered herself, letting Starlingcall drape her sister's heavy form over the warrior's back. The three cats hurried to the medicine den.

Jumpfoot watched them go, his green eyes unblinking. When Mossfire's limp tail finally snaked into the shade, he turned to the nervous clan. It seemed to tremble as a whole when Jumpfoot took a step forward.

"I am your leader now," he announced. "I will receive my nine lives and I promise you that I will make ShadowClan a force to be reckoned with."

A scattered, half-hearted cheer faded into the darkening afternoon sky.

SIXTH SENSE

Jumpfoot marched his way through the undergrowth. Redscar trailed behind him, his ears flattened. Was this even the right thing to do? Would StarClan approve of a leadership won by blood? The medicine cat's thoughts spun back to Mossfire, unconscious, wounded heavily, and barely alive, lying in the medicine den with her sister Flowerstem hovering over her. The throat wound was deep. It was a miracle that Mossfire was even alive at this point. It was possible, however, that she would never be able to speak again. She'd lose her voice for sure.

The medicine cat paused to glance up at the to-be leader. Jumpfoot's eyes sparked with ambition, his fur bristling in anticipation and his tail flicking with impatience. His pawsteps were brisk. Did he have any remorse – even slightly – in his mind? Redscar had to wonder. Or was he only seeing what he wanted to see – the highest position of ShadowClan, waiting for him to take? Redscar stayed silent as the two toms trekked through ShadowClan territory. Highstones looked more ghostly than usual, shadows seemingly looming at every corner.

They padded into the cave, every step echoing through the throat of the cavern. An eerie glow slowly began to illuminate the walls, enveloping the stone with a bluish-purple light. Redscar heard Jumpfoot inhale sharply. He turned to face the black tom.

"Are you ready to receive your nine lives?" The question felt heavy on his tongue. He knew the answer that Jumpfoot would say, but was it really the right answer?

"Yes," Jumpfoot breathed, his eyes fixtated on the Moonstone. Redscar hunched his shoulders, letting Jumpfoot go first. The warrior closed his eyes, exhaled, and leaned over to touch the cold surface of the stone with his nose. Redscar followed suit.

SIXTH SENSE

ShadowClan was silent now. But inside, the cats were abuzz with tension. Many cats paced restlessly, some eyeing the entrance of camp with apprehension. Queens curled around their kits and whispered in the nursery. Every cat avoided the place where the two competitors had been fighting just at sun-high. Drying blood marked the spot of the duel.

In the medicine cat den, Mossfire was now unconscious. Redscar had assured Flowerstem that Mossfire's state of being was now stable and she should be fine while he left for the Moonstone, and the tortoiseshell molly rested in the quiet. Patches of cobweb were plastered against her throat, and there were dry, scratching sounds that echoed in the medicine den as Mossfire's flank rose and fell.

Flowerstem was the busiest in camp, padding here and there. Trying to calm the apprentices down, organizing the clan, and keeping ShadowClan distracted from the horrifying fight.

"Take the apprentices out hunting," she meowed to one warrior. "Check the ThunderClan border – Leafnose mentioned that she saw intruders there," she told another. Slowly, the ShadowClan cats moved back to order, the buzz dying down to a whispering hum.

Then there – a crack, sending the hum up into a sharp thrumming buzz again. A black form strode into camp, chin up and paws confident. ShadowClan huddled before him, fearful of this tom who had brutally attacked a clanmate for his position. Flowerstem glowered at him, blue eyes ablaze with utter disgust.

Jumpstar stepped into camp. He surveyed the clan once before leaping up the Leader's Stone – _his _stone, now. ShadowClan shuffled forward. They looked up at this new leader, raised from blood. And they all asked inside – had there been any way to prevent this, or had this been inevitable?

**A/N: This AU centers around a what if in Code of the Clans. Jumpfoot and Mossfire killed each other in the process of fighting for the position of leader. But what if one of them won the leadership? Would someone kill either of them? Or would Flowerstem ever have become leader? I thought this was an interesting idea to play around with, as Jumpfoot may be ambitious, and according to the writing - a character with trope-y villain potential, yes? uvu Well, not really. I see Jumpfoot as a morally ambiguous type than a villain - but that's not the point.**

**Most of the cats here (aside from Mossfire, Flowerstem, Jumpfoot, and Redscar) are all made-up. One queen was not named but did go against Jumpfoot's rather battle-centric personality, and she does appear in this work of writing. So please don't assume that any of these characters than the four stated above are actually canon.**

**On another note, this is Conifeather/Coni. I have chosen to switch accounts after a recent code error when I tried to upload a story. I will be moving atramentous, Ghosted, and Sixth Sense over here, but no others. Spiderweb will be rewritten, as Blue will be.**

**Thank you, and stay tuned!**

**NEXT: Flowerstem babysits while her clanmates are at the Gathering.**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Warning Sign

If Snowstar's death brought worry, Brightwhisker's death caused dread. Brightwhisker had been sick, yes, but the entire clan had thought she would recover. She had been bright, as her name implied, and had spirit in her every move and word. That spirit left for StarClan, putting ShadowClan in a disarray. The former leader and deputy left ShadowClan at the mercy of pure chance, and that chance put the fate of the clan in Jumpfoot's - Jumpstar's - paws.

Flowerstem, under the shade of the pine trees surrounding camp, considered all this. Had there been a warning that could have prevented such a thing from happening?

Redscar said no. Mossfire insisted yes.

Flowerstem glanced at the nursery. Mossfire was happily engaging in a game of moss-ball with the kits - Cherrykit leaped at the warrior, tumbling at the tortoiseshell's paws when missing the target. Mossfire attempted to purr - which resulted in her hacking coughs.

Flowerstem got up automatically, bounding over to her sister. "Mossfire, are you alright?"

Mossfire straightened her hunched shoulders and looked at the ginger and white tabby. She nodded her head. Flowerstem flattened her ears. She brushed her tail against Mossfire's flank in worry. Mossfire had been released from the medicine den a moon ago, but she was still prone to hacks and chokes if she engaged in large action.

Cherrykit, Aspenkit, and Beechkit stared up at the pair. Beechkit was the first to step forward. "Are you… sick, Mossfire?"

Mossfire shook her head again, this time irritable.

Flowerstem flicked her tail at the young ones. "Hush now," she soothed. "Mossfire's alright." Mossfire nodded to affirm this, though her sides were still rising and falling at a fast pace. "Go back to Pinewhisker. She's probably awake."

"You're right I am." The brown tabby queen lumbered outside, her eyes glazed with fatigue. "Thank you for looking after them, Mossfire and Flowerstem." Pinewhisker collected her kits to her paws. Cherrykit let out a squeak as she ended tumbling head-over-paws into her mother's legs.

Mossfire gave a smile and waved her paw from side to side. _No problem._

Pinewhisker gave a purr in return. "You two have been so much help with the kits - I don't know what I would do if I were in this alone."

Flowerstem fidgeted her paws awkwardly. To be fair, this entire thing was not hers to take credit. Confinement to camp made an entire day seem as if it were a moon. Kits and apprentices, and the occasional gossiping whisper from Foxtooth and reports from Starlingcall - those kept the ginger and white warrior from going insane. Keeping the clan nice and tidy while Jumpstar wasn't around - she was something akin to a second deputy.

If Jumpstar or his _actual _deputy Thornbelly noticed, they never said anything, though Thornbelly shot her nasty glances.

Mossfire sharply nudged her. Flowerstem shook her head, blinking herself back to the evening. Pinewhisker stared at her expectantly. Flowerstem's whiskers quivered slightly - she turned to her tortoiseshell sister.

Mossfire rolled her eyes. _She asked if you wanted to train one of her kits._

"Oh!" Flowerstem blinked, flushing under her fur. "I'd be honored," she stammered, "but I can't help but think that Jumpstar wouldn't approve of this. He wants to keep me confined to camp."

_Till the end of time, _Mossfire agreed. _I want to hunt._

"He sees my sister and I as a threat to his leadership," Flowerstem added. "He wouldn't allow me teaching one of your kits."

Pinewhisker snorted. "That tom. I will tell him that I have considered long and hard on the subject of mentorship, and I have found that you are one of the cats I trust most to put my kits in your paws." The queen wrinkled his nose, lashing her tail. "Flowerstem - cats do support you."

"Support me?" The warrior blinked in bemusement. "Support me for what?"

It was Pinewhisker's turn to blink. "Why, for deputy, of course," she mewed. Her tone held a matter-of-fact tone - as if it was supposed to be obvious.

Both sisters froze - one in disbelief, one in happy surprise. "Deputy?" Flowerstem tried not to splutter at the same time Mossfire gave Flowerstem a look of delight. "I - Thornbelly is already in that position!"

Pinewhisker frowned. "But you do far more than he does," she pointed out. "You're the one who's keeping the clan orderly while Thornbelly's marching around shouting propaganda for Jumpstar. You have the support of this clan more than he does." Pinewhisker said all that in one breath. She inhaled again before meowing, "Anyhow, Flowerstem - Jumpstar will have to think twice before denying you something of the likes of mentorship."

Just that moment, there was a slow thrum of paws against the peaty soil. ShadowClan.

Flowerstem grimaced. Mossfire tensed. And with the clan, the most outrageous claimer of leadership - at least in her view. Was it that view that her clanmates supported? The warrior lashed her tail. If that was the case, they daren't show it.

Jumpstar strode into camp, chin and tail held high. His amber eyes skimmed briefly over the scattered felines left behind (or, in Mossfire and Flowerstem's case, forcibly detained). A dark ginger flash of tabby fur signaled Thornbelly's return. The thick-furred deputy slunk behind his leader, eyes half-open. Probably fatigue. There wasn't an extreme lot that a deputy had to do at Gatherings nowadays, but some of those were remarkably eventful - which seemed to be the case today. Flowerstem observed the shaky trail of ShadowClanners entering camp.

Her paws itched to pad over, speak with them, figure out what the other clans had been up to. She hadn't seen her own friends from other clans in a while - she wondered if Daisyfoot ever caught that mouse he swore had been large as a rabbit. Without thought, she rose to her paws.

Jumpstar, as if sensing the sudden rebellious act, swung his head around to face the tabby. Flowerstem recoiled at the scornful gaze - instinctive fury shot through her paws, forcing her claws out.

A subtle poke from Mossfire. The tortoiseshell had curled her lip, her eyes narrowed to mere slits as they followed the black leader to the Leader's Perch. _Leave it, _she warned. _He can do too much for it to be worth anything._

Flowerstem frowned. Mossfire shook her head, flicking her tail towards the middle of the crowd. Thornbelly was certainly sleepy - but his eyes were trained on the pair of them - thoughtful, judging, his eyes flickered to the half-unsheathed claws on Flowerstem's foot then back up at her. She crushed a growl in her throat. The ginger and white she-cat sat back down but didn't flatten her bristled fur.

Jumpstar curled his tail downwards in a hook. He surveyed the restless clan.

"Clanmates!" he called. "Tonight, I have accused ThunderClan of stealing our prey."

Flowerstem frowned. ThunderClan, stealing prey from their territory, once more. Starlingcall had informed her of this the day before, and by StarClan, that black molly had been incensed. The tabby kneaded at the ground.

"ThunderClan denies this," Jumpstar continued, "despite our warriors having found evidence of their lawless behavior."

"So what are we to do now?" someone called. Flowerstem looked back and found that the outburst came from Wolfpaw. The gray apprentice was on his paws, his tail whipping through the air. Typical - the apprentice was known for being reckless. Flowerstem gave a chuckle.

Jumpstar sat there. If his eyes weren't there, one would have assumed that he was a rock with whiskers. "We will not do anything - for now," he declared. "As much as I see that you want to sink your claws into mangy ThunderClan fur -" - a hiss of agreement from the audience - "it is too early to attack."

Flowerstem cocked an ear. Early. That was not typical for Jumpstar.

"For now - clan dismissed."

Pinewhisker strode forward as the rest of the clan dispersed. Warriors began streaming to the dens, too tired to speak. Flowerstem was also - rather suddenly - consumed by fatigue. She opened her jaws to let out a large yawn.

"Come on, Mossfire," she murmured. "We should go to bed too."

Mossfire dipped her head, flicking Flowerstem's ear as the tortie padded in the direction of the dens. Flowerstem gave another hollow yawn and followed suit. The sisters ducked into the warriors' den, already full with drowsy cats. Some were already near asleep, and someone was snoring – probably Nightfrost.

Flowerstem herself slipped into her moss nest, breathing in the scent of pine cones nestled into the bedding. She could hear voices outside – one the rumble of Jumpstar, the other the sharp mew of Pinewhisker. And there was a third voice – most likely Thornbelly.

Flowerstem gave a hiss of annoyance. That tom, with the way he acted like he was just made leader – who sprouted verses of Jumpstar's words as if he were a cuckoo – certainly, he would never make a leader that ShadowClan needed.

The ginger and white tabby rolled over in her nest. She stayed awake for a few moments, watching as her sister's flank slowed, before closing her eyes herself.

SHADOWCLAN ALLEGIANCES

Leader: Jumpstar – large black tom with amber eyes

Deputy: Thornbelly – russet tabby tom with a torn ear

Medicine Cat: Redscar – a red tabby tom with a long scar stretching from cheek to chin

Warriors

Nightfrost – dark gray tabby tom

Stagheart – thin, pale brown tabby tom

Mousefang – grayish brown tabby tom (apprentice, Wolfpaw)

Oakstripe – long-haired gray tabby tom (apprentice, Volepaw)

Leafnose – ginger tabby she-cat

Starlingcall – black she-cat with white paws, chest, and tail tip

Owlflight – dark brown spotted tabby tom (apprentice, Tawnypaw)

Flowerstem – white she-cat with ginger tabby patches

Mossfire – tortoiseshell she-cat; has a large scar on her throat (mute because of that wound)

Foxtooth – large ginger tom

Vixenstep – ginger tabby she-cat with white paws

Apprentices

Wolfpaw – thick-furred dark gray tom

Volepaw – gray tom with white paws

Tawnypaw – russet tabby she-cat

Queens

Pinewhisker – brown tabby she-cat with green eyes (mother to Aspenkit, a dark brown tabby she-kit, Beechkit, a creamy brown tabby tom, and Cherrykit, a tortoiseshell she-kit)

Elders

Blackcloud – black she-cat with a white muzzle, chest, and paws

**Next: Flowerstem is given something she never expected, and encounters something she expected**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Rising Tension

Flowerstem's dreams were rarely fitful. Tonight was no different, but it seemed that she felt more fatigued than rested. Her fur was a bird's nest - it stuck up on all sides. Needless to say, she had tangles on her flanks when she awoke.

"You kicked me in the middle of the night," Starlingcall muttered. Irritation reeked from the dark warrior's pelt.

"Sorry," Flowerstem muttered back. She couldn't even remember how she slept. Her head was hazy.

Starlingcall flicked her tail against Flowerstem's ruffled flank. "Hey, you know that Pinewhisker asked you to be a mentor last night - to Jumpstar out if all cats?"

Flowerstem sank into her nest. "I think I can tell." She really couldn't work up the gut to imagine Jumpstar growling at the docile queen.

"He… well." Starlingcall hesitated. "He didn't say _yes _but he didn't say _no_."

Flowerstem raised her head. "Jumpstar didn't say no?" she asked.

"Well, I heard no negative statements," Starlingcall amended, "but I'm not sure if that means that you have confirmed mentorship yet. Flowerstem? Flowerstem, are you listening?"

Flowerstem was hardly listening. Her mind was largely rushing through a hundred ideas a moment - did she have a chance in escaping confinement? Her paws felt the sudden thrill of leading a patrol again. To hunt and walk through the marshes again.

Starlingcall waved her tail in front of the spaced-out feline. "Might want to get up to figure out if you actually managed to get mentorship," she commented dryly. "Jumpstar just called a clan meeting."

Flowerstem jumped to her paws, trotting out of the den with force put on her paw pads. She could barely hold herself still, much less break out into a run.

StarClan, if this happened - _if this happened - _that meant that she could finally be like a good warrior again. Not one who sat around doing nothing except idly observe the daily-dallies of her 'fellow' warriors; not a prisoner; but a real clan member who hunted.

She bumped into Mossfire which snapped her out of her notions.

The tortoiseshell gave a smile and patted the ground next to her. _Sit._

Flowerstem shakily sat down, her eyes trained on the black cat prowling his way to the rock with steady paws.

A loud squeak distracted her from watching Jumpstar. Cherrykit was the one who had caused the disruption, desperately trying to escape the firm licks of her mother.

"Hold still," Pinewhisker murmured between licks. Her ears were flattened as a flustered act; all eyes of the clan were on the mother and daughter now.

Jumpstar observed this for a moment before letting loose a rumbling call. Flowerstem raised her head sharply to look at the tomcat.

"Today is a day of celebration," Jumpstar announced. "Three kits have come of age and are ready to become apprentices." He ducked his head to look at the three littermates, who seemed to be trembling as much as Flowerstem was. "Aspenkit, Beechkit, and Cherrykit - step forward."

They stumbled onwards. Even though they were fully grown and had proportionate limbs now, the litter of Pinewhisker seemed to have inexplicably turned back into moon-old kits. The clan exploded into chuckles and giggles when Cherrykit accidentally stepped on Aspenkit's tail. The dark brown tabby let out a small hiss at her embarrassed tortoiseshell sister, who flattened her ears in return.

Jumpstar watched all this with an amused glimmer in his eye. "You three have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Aspenpaw, Beechpaw, and Cherrypaw."

Each new apprentice seemed to shiver in delight when their name was declared.

"Starlingcall!" Jumpstar called. Flowerstem swung her head around to look at her fellow denmate in astonishment - Starlingcall, a _mentor?_

_Then again, _Flowerstem reminded herself, _Starlingcall _is _around your age - a few moons older - of course she is of age to receive an apprentice. _The white and ginger tabby flicked her tail. _I should be worried about my own possible mentorship._

"You have shown your compassion and level-headedness throughout your warriorhood," Jumpstar rumbled. "I expect you to these traits onto Aspenpaw."

The black she-cat's eyes glowed with pride as she stepped forward to greet her apprentice. Aspenpaw gazed up at her mentor with wide eyes before leaning forward and giving Starlingcall a dab on the nose.

"Nightfrost," Jumpstar continued, "you have served your clan well with dignity and loyalty. I expect you to pass these traits onto Cherrypaw."

The senior warrior padded forward, but this time the newly named mentor looked rather confused than delighted. The rest of the clan exchanged glances. Cherrypaw took a tentative step forward before giving Nightfrost the customary touch of the nose. Beechpaw fidgeted uncomfortably. Flowerstem ducked her head forward, ears flattened. Mossfire stiffened beside her. Why had the leader skipped over…?

Jumpstar paused for a moment, surveying the clan with what appeared to be a calculating glare. "Beechpaw," he mewed at last. "Your mentor will be…" After a few more heartbeats of silence where the young brown tabby hunched over in a ball, curling his tail to his paws, Jumpstar finally opened his mouth again. "Flowerstem."

A moment of absorbing.

The clan rippled.

"Good StarClan!"

"Is he serious?"

"Well done, Pinewhisker!"

"At last!"

Flowerstem barely realized that she was moving forward. Her eyes should be fixed on Beechpaw. But instead, they were warily on Jumpstar, looking down at her. A small cough from the young apprentice made her shake her head and look down herself, bowing her head to give Beechpaw the touch.

"You have shown yourself to be reliant and observant." She could barely hear Jumpstar's mew over the roaring in her ears. "You are to pass those onto him." But she could definitely feel the weight of those words - an order.

"I will do my best, Jumpstar." The words feel like an oath - and it was.

Flowerstem returned to her sister's side amid the calls of celebration. Mossfire nuzzled her sister with pride, a broken churning sound coming from her damaged throat. Flowerstem looked at the tortoiseshell, happiness threatening to make her burst – until guilt crawled up the warrior's throat. _Mossfire_ wouldn't be going outside. _Mossfire_ would stay in camp. _Mossfire_ would still be under the watch of Thornbelly or Jumpstar.

Flowerstem buried her muzzle in Mossfire's fur. _I promise that I'll get you out of here, _she swore.

SIXTH SENSE

Paws thrummed across the marshes.

"Come on over here!" Nightfrost called, padding swiftly through the territory.

Flowerstem gave a huff as she padded along - she felt as if the territory she'd lived alongside all her life were suddenly alien to her feet. The grass and ground seemed different, even though there was no reason for that at all - she'd been walking here since when she was an apprentice. The warrior grimaced. Confinement to camp was most likely the reason for her awkwardness. Damn Jumpstar.

Flowerstem abruptly felt a presence beside her - turning her head, she found Starlingcall looking down at the tabby with amused eyes.

"Trouble navigating?"

"Shut up," Flowerstem retorted.

Starlingcall only responded with a quicker pace. "Let's go faster. Our own apprentices are leading the tour," the black molly chuckled.

Flowerstem let out a laugh of her own. She could hear Cherrypaw's excited chirps and Beechpaw's awed gasps from where she was. She broke into a trot.

Nightfrost turned his head to give the pair of she-cats a nod. "Nice of you to finally catch up," he commented. "I was just about to show these two the Burnt Sycamore."

"Was it _really _struck by lightning?" Cherrypaw interrupted. "I heard that it was just a twoleg with a huge fang!"

The senior warrior rolled his eyes at his apprentice. "No one knows for sure, Cherrypaw," he replied with customary calmness. "But what we are sure of is that we will be training here during the nighttime."

"During the nighttime?" This time it was Aspenpaw who cut in. "But only the owl's out in the night."

"ShadowClan isn't _Shadow_Clan for nothing," Starlingcall purred. "We strike during the night, stealthy and quick. Which is why it's imperative that we practice fighting and hunting in the dark."

"But for now," Flowerstem mewed, "we'll be touring the rest of the territory before learning the basics of hunting."

Nightfrost nodded. "That'll give you enough time to learn the simple things before having the rest of the day for yourselves."

Beechpaw's fur bristled up in delight. "I want to start learning _now!_"

"Slow down," Flowerstem warned, although, inside, the white and ginger she-cat was equally exhilarated at the thought of training her apprentice all the necessities of hunting and fighting. "The first thing we'll do right now is head over to ThunderClan border. We still have to finish up the territory tour."

"ThunderClan border?" Starlingcall inquired. "Is that wise?"

Flowerstem frowned slightly, considering. "It _is _part of our territory," she replied. "But let's not stay there for too long."

Nightfrost glanced at the three littermates, looking up expectantly at their mentors. "You three - if anyone attacks, you run back to camp and get reinforcements. Is that understood?"

Aspenpaw tipped her head. "Why reinforcements?"

Cherrypaw shoved her sister to the side. "Because they're going to _fight_, mouse-brain!"

Starlingcall rolled her eyes slightly. "Knock it off, the two of you," she meowed. "We'll now move onto the ThunderClan border - but keep your eyes peeled for any unfamiliar warriors or scents."

"Try to take a sniff of ThunderClan's musk, too," Flowerstem added. "They stink, so you won't forget their smell in a hurry."

Nightfrost gave a chuckle. "That's nothing compared to RiverClan," he purred. "They smell of rotten fish!"

Cherrypaw and Beechpaw collapsed into a series of gasping laughs. Aspenpaw tried hard to conceal her about-to-burst giggles. The mentors could only chuckle at their hysterical apprentices as they walked on, leaving the young cats to chase after them. This continued all the way to the Thunderpath.

"What's that?" Beechpaw asked at last, having recovered from his laughter.

"It's the Thunderpath," Flowerstem explained. "You've heard of twolegs, right?"

"I have!" Cherrypaw spoke up. "Mom said that they're big and walk on two legs and have no fur."

"They sound disgusting," Aspenpaw muttered, making a face.

"They are," Nightfrost agreed. "They don't always get around using their feet, though. They sometimes get in the bellies of 'monsters' - beings with four round paws and move _very quickly - _and they never stop to wait." He narrowed his eyes at Cherrypaw. "Never cross the Thunderpath without looking both ways. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Nightfrost," the apprentices chorused.

"Look - here comes one now," Starlingcall meowed. "Stand back."

The patrol shuffled back as the blaring red monster shrieked past them, honking like a duck. Flowerstem shrunk back as the monster caused a large gale, buffeting her fur. She shook her head as it passed, giving her pelt a quick lick to smoothen in down.

Looking at her side, the apprentices were wide-eyed. Aspenpaw even had her claws unsheathed.

"That's a monster," Starlingcall announced. "It's fast, it's vicious. You don't want to get in its way."

"If you're very lucky and the monster is moving very slowly, chances are that the monster will notice you and shout at you to get out of its path," Nightfrost hissed in Cherrypaw's ear. "But those chances are very low. I don't want to catch you playing out on the Thunderpath, understood?"

Flowerstem thought that Cherrypaw didn't even need that warning. The tortoiseshell she-cat was plenty shocked already.

"I smell something woody," Beechpaw blurted. The apprentice looked up at Flowerstem. "Is that ThunderClan?"

Flowerstem nodded, but didn't speak; she stiffened slightly. The odor was getting stronger. She shot a glance at Starlingcall and Nightfrost, who were both on their guard now. ThunderClan was most likely very close.

Aspenpaw nudged Starlingcall abruptly. "I think I see someone," she whispered, her eyes far down the side of the Thunderpath the ShadowClan patrol was on.

Flowerstem followed the apprentice's gaze. She gave a low growl.

Two large cats with a very notable scent of the forest.

"What do we do?" Beechpaw hissed.

Nightfrost flicked his tail. "You three, stay here. If a fight breaks out, head back to camp."

Flowerstem shared a look with Starlingcall. The black she-cat nodded towards the ThunderClanners. Taking a deep breath, Flowerstem strode forward. As she got closer, she had a better look at the pair. Both had the traditional ThunderClan feline structure - large and thick-furred, both red tabbies. One seemed to be carrying something in their jaws. Flowerstem let another growl come through. It was a squirrel. A _ShadowClan _squirrel. Prey-stealers, just as Jumpstar had reported.

"Hey!" she yowled.

The two cats stopped. The cat at the front seemed to freeze when they saw the three warriors coming towards them. The other cat - the one with the mouse in their jaws - gave a snarl and gave their companion a sharp nudge.

"Go!" they snapped through the mouse.

Flowerstem gave a hiss as the three ShadowClanners gave chase. The tabby at the front gave a quick shake of their head before dashing onto the Thunderpath. The squirrel-carrier followed in haste, casting a look over their shoulder. Nightfrost snarled, leaping at the latter. The black tom landed on the ThunderClan cat's back.

"Hold him there!" Flowerstem yowled as she ran towards the two cats.

The ThunderClan companion was faster. They screeched, lunging at Nightfrost. The senior warrior barely had time to grunt before he was tossed onto the black path.

"Well done, Birchstep!" the other tabby called. Birchstep barely acknowledged them, turning around and dashing across the rest of the Thunderpath before Nightfrost could recover. The black tom growled in frustration as he watched the two prey-stealers escape.

"Fox-dung!" Starlingcall spat. The three warriors watched the two ThunderClan cats rush into the forest. "We were too late!"

"But we caught them stealing prey," Flowerstem hissed. Her fur bristled up in fury. "They won't just get away with this."

"Report to Jumpstar?"

Flowerstem heaved a groan. "Report to Jumpstar," she agreed, turning the face the apprentices. They were frozen behind a few bushes, staring out at their mentors. "You three! Back to camp. We'll finish this tour another day – there is a report that needs to be made."


End file.
